


The Devil's Got Your Number Tonight

by Aubrie1234



Series: Madness Men [3]
Category: Bandom, Black Veil Brides, Fall Out Boy, Falling in Reverse, My Chemical Romance, Panic! at the Disco
Genre: Bagdemagus is alone but friend-obsessed, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gervasius Returns, Ghost Possession, M/M, MCR is still alive in modern times, More tags to be added, Violence, spn references
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-06
Updated: 2018-06-02
Packaged: 2019-04-19 13:38:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14238456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aubrie1234/pseuds/Aubrie1234
Summary: More ghosts have returned, much to everyone's horror, and one of them isn't about to go back to Hell without seeing his friends again, for one last time, even if they aren't really his friends. But two new ghosts join the side of the good guys, which at least evens the odds and tips them a little in the favor of our heroes.Until the Mad King comes back. Which means everyone's fucked at that point, even the new bad guy ghost.





	1. Resurrect the Sun (And its Killer, the Moon)

**Author's Note:**

> For starters, even though I love the two bands, I don't have much of an idea of the characterization of the people in BVB or FIR, so if there's OOCness, help me characterize them better. Second, I'm not sure of who should be in FIR at this time besides Ronnie, Derek, and Zakk. I'm thinking of adding Ryan Seaman, but I don't know if I should also have Jacky Vincent or Christian Thompson. As I said, I don't know much about the people in these bands even though I love them, so you guys can help me choose.
> 
> Second, this is the true sequel to Of Kings and Queens, even though the first chapter is short. I'm hoping with some input and more characterization for BVB and FIR (since they're pretty central to this fic), I can get more chapters rolling out for this. Probably won't be as good as the first story, but I promised a sequel, so here.
> 
> The story is set a few months after OKAQ and Patrick's Guide, the semi-sequel set between this and OKAQ, so this story is maybe around 3-4 months after the adventure at Four Corners ended.

When Bagdemagus opened his eyes, he was surprised to find he wasn't in Hell anymore, staring at the ceiling of a dungeon. No, he found himself staring up at a rocky-looking ceiling, but it was too pale to be Hell. Was he, perhaps, in Heaven? He doubted it because no one left Hell once they were sent there, so what was going on? He sat up and looked around, trying to get his bearings.

He was in a fancy room of some sort that reminded him of the chambers of the kings, pale in various colors of yellow and brown, and he was alone. Right across from the bed was a reflective surface, allowing him to see himself. He moved his hand and the image moved with it, showing that he was really seeing what he was seeing. Touching his face, he found he looked older, though he had died when he was only in his 17th year. There was little hair on his face and colorful splashes on his arm. Rubbing a hand over the color, he found he couldn't feel it, as if it was embedded into his skin. He looked back up at the mirror again, at his reflection, and he gave a smile.

“I suppose it is time for me to take my rightful place as king, if the throne still exists.” he said to himself, pausing slightly at hearing himself speak a strange language but able to understand it, then threw off the covers and prepared for the day. Wearing only some underwear, he stretched and went to the closest door, opening it and finding various pieces of clothing lined up inside. He took one and held it out from himself in wonder, because he had never seen such clothes before. The outfit looked nothing like his old clothes or even that of the kings, but it surely seemed fancy. He found an empty hook near and hung the outfit on the hook, not wanting to put it on just yet. The red jacket seemed to flash at him in mischief and he knew he was going to have a fun time, despite what was going on.

He felt sort of dirty and wondered if things had changed enough to where he could bathe, so he searched the room for a place he could do it. He found said place off to the side, in another small room. He wasn't sure what the strange things did, but as he tested them, he began to figure it out. The porcelain object seemed to dispose of waste, the indent in the counter was to wash his hands (and possibly his face), and the oval item to the side was to wash his body. He turned one of the knobs connected to the oval and water flowed out of an opening, filling the tub. It trickled down a drain just under the opening, so Bagdemagus plugged it with the small pale, strange feeling thing with the chain and watched the oval-shaped appliance fill.

“I wonder why this happened.” he spoke to himself, “Why am I here? Did I come as my older self or am I in someone's body? I hope to find out so that I can understand why this is happening.” Once the oval was full he hummed to himself and took off his underwear, stepping in carefully and washing his body. In a way, it was like washing in a still steam. Once he was done, he pulled the plug and let the oval drain. He took one of the fluffy cloths from a cabinet and dried himself off with it before grabbing for a comb. Now he felt better and possibly looked better. Once dry he put his underwear back on and got dressed with the outfit. He used the reflective surface to dress and smiled at himself as he fixed the red jacket.

“I look well, do I not? I am not a simple messenger boy anymore.” He paused as he saw something in the corner of the reflection and turned around. On the small table beside the bed were some small framed pictures that didn't look like they'd been painted. One had a dark-haired woman with himself, and another had a blonde-haired man where they shared a hug. And the third caused him to nearly jump. He could see himself with three of his dead friends, Sampson, Ryscus, and Johnathan, in front of many people. They all looked happy together. Another picture that was more recent also included Diktrus. Bagdemagus suddenly knew why he was brought here and he smiled at the thought, putting the pictures back.

It was time for the messenger boy to reunite with his friends once again.

* * *

When Angelicus opened his eyes, he knew something was wrong. Nothing felt like Heaven, but it was too light to be Hell, so where was he? Hearing a soft sound, he turned his head to see another bed in the room with someone else sleeping on it, a dark-haired man he didn't know. What had happened? He yelped softly when two small creatures hopped onto the bed with him, looking like giant balls of fluff. They barked like dogs and wagged their tails, but they looked nothing like the strong, fierce dogs Angelicus once knew. They barked again at him at the man on the other bed groaned.

“Quiet you two.” he spoke sleepily. Angelicus didn't know the language and was surprised to understand it. The two 'dogs' ignored him and barked again, crawling across the bed to cuddle Angelicus, who backed away from them so much that he fell off the bed with a thump. This really woke the other man, who sat up, rubbing his eyes.

“Andy, it's just Killer and Tokyo. It's not like they're gonna bite your face off.” said the man. Angelicus stood, keeping an uneasy eye on 'Tokyo' and 'Killer' before turning to the man. The man had paint across his arms and brown hair but was completely unfamiliar to Angelicus.

“Erm...” He wondered if he should tell the other man. After all, the priest knew nothing about this time, it was so different from what he used to know, “I am not Andy.” The man gave him a confused look.

“Of course you're Andy. No one else has those tattoos and that hair.” Angelicus lifted a hand to see paint along his arm, just like the other man's. He touched it, but felt no paint, only his own skin. This surprised him and he looked to the other man, feeling alarmed.

“I swear to you, I am not Andy!” he said, “My name is Angelicus. I am- or was- a priest once upon a time, but that was very long ago. I do not know what happened, but apparently I am here now, in control of your friend's body.” Despite his lack of knowledge of the new language, the words came out fluently. The other man was frowning at this, worry in his eyes.

“The hell?” he muttered quietly, then spoke louder, “If this is a joke, it's not funny.” Angelicus frowned back.

“Why would I lie to you?” he asked, “Why would I say this if I wanted to have fun? I do not know where or when I am and you may the only one who can help me! If only Raphael-” Angelicus stopped himself, feeling his throat close up with emotion. He hadn't seen Raphael since that night, right before his best friend tried to kill the mad king. Even now it hurt to speak of him and tears appeared in his- no, _Andy's_ eyes. This caused the other man to stand up in alarm.

“What's wrong?”

“Old memories.” said the priest, “I lost my friend just before my own death and even now it hurts to speak of him.”

“Raphael...” said the man and Angelicus nodded, “I guess you're not making this up, then. Andy's not the kid of guy who would play a joke so soon in the day, let alone get so emotional for a reaction.”

“May I ask your name, since I told you mine?” Angelicus wiped the tears away.

“Right, I'm Ashley. I'm one of Andy's best friends.” Ashley sat back down and the creatures moved from one bed to the other, barking happily.

“What are those...balls of fluff?”

“Tokyo and Killer?” Ashley smiled, “They're a breed of dog called a Pomeranian. They're not mean or anything, but they will destroy your shoes if you don't do what they want.”

“I see.” Angelicus sat back on Andy's bed, “Please, tell me more about everything. The date, who Andy is, I want to know.”

“It's 2018 right now and we're in a band together, Andy and me with some other guys.”

“Over a 1000 years...” Angelicus spoke in shock, “Nothing must be left, then.” He grew saddened at this. Though he hated Gervasius, Angelicus had loved the other kings as friends, even the castle was amazing. To hear that he was gone for so long meant that it might not exist anymore.

“Of what?”

“My home. As I told you, I was once a priest. I was hung because my secret came out and I have been in Heaven until now.”

“What secret?” Ashley was curious.

“I cannot tell you. You may be angry at me.”

“Dude, if there's one thing about this time that's probably different from yours, it's that we don't give out such harsh punishments. Whatever your secret is probably isn't bad enough to get you killed in this time.” Ashley gave him a skeptical look, “Unless, of course, you're a murderer.” Angelicus started.

“What?! I am no such thing! Though, I cannot say the same about Raphael.” the priest shook his head, “My friend was an assassin and was involved in my death.”

“Did he kill you?” Ashley asked in surprised shock.

“Not at all, but he was blackmailed because of me.” Angelicus hung his head, “In turn, that caused his death.”

“I'm sorry.”

“It does not matter now, we all die eventually.”

“I wonder how the guys will react when they find out.” Ashley spoke, “In a band, we play instruments for the benefit of others. You- or really Andy- do the singing most of the time. I play bass, Jake and Jinxx play guitar, and CC is on the drums. Jinxx also does the violin for some of the songs, too.” Angelicus watched carefully as a happy look appeared on Ashley's face as he spoke.

“I suppose you can tell them, but only because they seem to be close to us.” he said, “And I hope that a solution can be found for this. I do not want to take you away from your friend.”

“It's not your fault.” Ashley told him, “Now come on, let's get ready. We're got a lot to do today and you're going to need to fill in for Andy.” Angelicus made a strangled sound and grabbed a pillow, holding it to his chest tightly like it was his armor.

“I cannot do that! I do not know how to act as your friend and neither can I sing! I sound like a crow when I try!”

“You're in Andy's body and he sings like an angel.” Ashley said as he grabbed Angelicus' hand, Tokyo and Killer hopping off the bed as the bassist tugged the other man into standing, “Besides, we don't have a gig for tonight. Be glad about that, but you've still got to do some signing.”

“'Signing?'” Angelicus voiced the word as if it was a torture device. Which, to him, it could very well be.

“I'll explain on the way. Come on, you big baby!”

“I am not a child!” He huffed but followed Ashley as the shorter man began helping him prepare for the day. Before they could do anything, however, Andy's phone began to ring. Angelicus jumped and hid behind Ashley, whimpering in fear of the magical vibrating box. The bassist rolled his eyes and answered, as the Caller ID said it was Ronnie.

“Hello?”

“It's Ashley, isn't it? It's Derek. Look, is Andy there?” Ashley glanced to Angelicus.

“Sort-of. Why? Can't Ronnie call him himself?”

“Er...” There was some mumbling before Derek came back on the line again, “He's not himself.” Ashley gave a look to Angelicus and put the phone on speaker so the priest could hear too.

“How's he acting?”

“Completely out of it.” said Derek, “After he woke up this morning, he just kept to himself and when Zakk tried getting close, he lashed out with a _fucking_ knife! He tried to stab Zakk before fleeing to his room! We can get the door open with a key, but we're not sure we want to. So, any ideas?” Angelicus had frowned throughout the talk until his eyes suddenly lit up. He leaned close to Ashley and whispered in his ear, causing the bassist to give him a look as if he was crazy, but he did as Angelicus said.

“Can you put the phone on speaker and slide it under the door? Ang- Andy's got a plan.”

“Alright...” Derek didn't sound so sure that it was a good idea, but there was shuffling around on the other end and soon it was quiet. Angelicus cleared his throat.

“Raphael?” he asked.

“...Angelicus?” came the slow, unsure response.

“It is I.”

“How...how are you talking out of the magic box? Where are you?”

“I am elsewhere. Are you safe?”

“Not quite.” Came Ronnie's- no, _Raphael's_ soft growl, “Who are these men who surround me? Do you know?”

“They are friends of the man whom you inhabit.” spoke Angelicus in a calming voice, “They are only fearful for their friend and wish to help him. Tell them what is going on so that they may help you.” the priest looked to Ashley, “I have already found someone who is guiding me.”

“How can you be so sure of this?” asked Raphael, “What if they wish to kill me again?”

“Trust me, Raphael. They are not your enemies, so keep your weapons away and give them a chance to talk.”

“...I will, but Angel, can we please see each other soon? I am not taking this well and I miss you. I have not seen you since just before my death, and even then my afterlife has been a blur.”

“Of course, once things have been arranged.” Angelicus nodded, though his best friend couldn't see, “Now, put away your weapon and cooperate with those men or else our visit will be prolonged.”

“Yes, I will do that.” Raphael sounded exasperated as he sighed, “I will see you soon, Angelicus.”

“I will see you as well, my friend.” Angelicus smiled before Ashley hit the 'End' button and there was silence.

“Looks like you're not the only one affected.” Ashley looked up at Angelicus, “Do you think there could be more possessions?”

“Perhaps. We shall look for them later, after I am reunited with my friend.”

“Right, sure.” Ashley agreed that it was probably their best bet right now to meet up with Raphael and the rest of Falling in Reverse, keeping the two possessed men together so that they could keep an eye on them while the bands tried to find a way to fix things. Then Tokyo and Killer barked again, causing Angelicus to squeak and jump onto Ashley's back to get away from them, nearly toppling the bassist over.

 _This is just turning out to be a_ great _morning, isn't it?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Tokyo and Killer are apparently Ashley's dogs in a fic called Ashley Baby by princess_mouse here on AO3, and even if they don't actually exist in real life, I've been loving the fic so much I decided to add them in.
> 
> 2\. Bagdemagus is an actual name I found while searching. I'm not kidding. Apparently its origins are in Arthurian legend (Knights of the Round Table, Excalibur, etc.) and was the king of Gorre, a Knight of the Round Table and the father of Maleagant. (Info from Behind the Name)
> 
> 3\. The chapter title is a reference to the BVB song Resurrect the Sun, but I added the parenthesis part.
> 
> 4\. The title of the fic is a line from MCR's Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back.


	2. We Will Never Believe Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided that Christian Thompson will be in FIR, but Jacky Vincent is still close friends with the band, so he might make an appearance in here. As it is, I'm still not sure if the characterizations of FIR and BVB are good, so if someone seems OOC or I need to fix something, tell me and I'll fix it. I want this story to be the best it can be, so your input helps.
> 
> Also, in the tags, I mentioned SPN references. Those will be few and appear later in the story, but adds to a plot point.
> 
> EDIT: I've decided that Jacky will definitely be included with FIR in this story.

Angelicus gazed at Andy's body in the small handheld reflective thing called a 'mirror' that Ashley gave him. He was now dressed in strange clothes that would be scandalous to the days he used to know as Ashley talked with Jake, Jinxx, and CC about him. Angelicus didn't mind, as he had requested it. He wasn't sure he wanted to face them as he had to Ashley, confused as hell with no way to back himself up except for his words. In fact, he wondered why Ashley believed him so quickly. After all, Angelicus had no proof to prove who he was, that he wasn't Andy. Maybe the bassist could explain later, when things weren't so hectic.

Angelicus ran a hand over his left eye, amazed that there were no marks there. He used to have a scar over his eye that was made in his childhood, depicting an upside down cross. There had been bullies who had cornered him and cut the skin over his eye, just barely missing it, and Raphael had stepped in just as they were about to make the cut deeper and possibly take out his eye. Raphael had saved him, the first of many times that would happen as the years went by. The thought made his heart ache for his best friend and wonder when they would be able to see each other. To distract himself, Angelicus tilted his head to view the feather 'tattoo' (as Ashley called it) on Andy's neck. It looked so much like the feather he used to wear around his neck, as a symbol of friendship between himself and Raphael. He missed it and wondered where it could be now, if it still survived...

“Angelicus, right?” The priest was brought out of his thoughts by the voice and looked up to see that Ashley had returned with the rest of the band. Angelicus looked at all of them uneasily, but they all seemed to be making the same look at him, as if they also weren't sure what to do.

“Correct, that is my name.” he spoke, “And you are..?”

“I'm CC, these are Jake and Jinxx.” They waved to indicate who they were as CC held out a hand, trying to give a smile, “I know this must be a bit hard, coming here with no idea about what's going on.” Hesitantly, Angelicus raised a hand to shake with CC's. Nothing happened after and he quickly tugged his hand away.

“Thank you for your concern, but I still do not know what Ashley meant by 'signing.'”

“Since we're in a band, we have fans and we're just going to put our names on things that they give us.” explained Jake, “I don't have any idea how you're gonna get out of doing this, though, let alone faking Andy's signature.”

“Here, how about you practice it on some paper?” Jinxx set down a sheet of parchment and a writing utensil not unlike a phoenix feather on the table in front of Angelicus. The priest picked up the yellow, wooden object and gave them all an unsure look before he put it to the so-called 'paper' and began to write. He wanted to try and write Andy's name in the man's handwriting, so he let things go and just allowed himself to write. It was almost like Andy took over in a way, even though he wasn't there, as the signature came out just like how Andy himself would have done it. At least, that's the way it looked to the guys, who then shared surprised glances.

“Damn, you're good.” spoke Ashley, “Just keep that up at the signing and don't say a word, then we'll be done before lunch and we can try meeting up with Raphael.”

“Thank you. I will do my best.” nodded Angelicus, then, on a whim, he tried to write his own name. He managed to do so and in his own language no less. 'Ангелицус' was how it came out and he smiled to see that he still had his name when he had nothing else.

* * *

“Thanks for getting here so fast.” Ryan said, “He seriously looks like he wants to kill us.”

“I would not kill you.” said Raphael, “I would have only cut off a hand or two.”

“Put the knife down.” Angelicus grabbed his wrist and forced the assassin to put down the butter knife he had been holding, giving the other a glare. Raphael rolled his eyes but complied, letting go of said knife, though holding it made him feel better and safer. Luckily for the two bands, they hadn't been far from each other and were able to meet up for lunch.

“So, you're best friends with each other?” asked Derek, “Because Raphael didn't tell us shit.” Angelicus gave his friend another glare.

“Yes. We grew up together in the same village and he has saved my life infinitely.”

“I did not save you that often.” Raphael argued, but there was a smile on his face.

“An assassin and a priest. Who would've thought?” Jake mused.

“Now that you two are together, we need to keep an eye on you in case something happens.” Zakk reasoned.

“We also need to find a way to cure you.” CC said, “You guys are cute and all, but we want our friends back.”

“Perhaps you could search to see if this has happened to someone else.” Angelicus suggested, “I would not be surprised if my king was still here as a ghost.”

“King? What king?” asked Ashley.

“When we were alive, we once lived in a kingdom that was part of 4.” explained Raphael, “They were Scorxus, Deecadia, Spidantia, and Phonicamy. The castle that connected them was known as Four Corners and each of them were ruled by a single king.”

“I was the high priest of Spidantia and my king was Gervasius.” spoke Angelicus, “I wish I could say some good about him, but he was as mad as they come. The other kings were Ferdinand of Scorxus, Paul of Deecadia, and Percival of Phonicamy. They were much nicer than Gervasius.”

“Seems you two had eventful lives.” said Christian, “But what was so bad about Gervasius?”

“He was the Devil incarnate.” Angelicus answered quietly, “He was evil, though it was hard to see. He was a torturer with much insanity and very few things held him back from doing what he wanted. As a king, he had a great reach over what he could do, which made it difficult to stop him. The priests, like myself, were to regulate the kings, but it was hard when you know yours would turn on you in a blink and kill you without mercy.”

“He is also very good at defending himself.” Raphael growled, “He has been attacked by dozens of assassins, but they can never kill him because he is too good. He is also the reason that I am dead, coincidentally.”

“He also killed me, though indirectly.” Angelicus added.

“He did?” Raphael was surprised at this and angry at the dead king, “How did that happen?”

“The night you died, you said that someone was using me to blackmail you. The next day, presumably after Gervasius killed you, word spread that I was in love with a man, which went against all the teachings of the church. In response, I was hung because of my beliefs. I did not try to defend myself because they were right.” Angelicus looked away, “I knew it was Gervasius because I saw him grinning at me just before my neck was snapped. He had a knowing look in his eyes, as if to tell me he knew why I was going to die.”

“...You're right, he sounds horrible.” Jinxx spoke after things were quiet for a moment, “And how long did you have to deal with him?”

“Years, but truly bad things only began to happen after Ferdinand died. The Scorxus king was Gervasius' rock, and without him, things got worse.” Angelicus turned back to Raphael, “And who sent you to kill Gervasius? You never told me who it was.”

“As shocking as it may sound, it was Bagdemagus.”

“The messenger boy? What did he have against Gervasius that would make him wish the king was dead?” Raphael gave a snort.

“You may not have gotten around, Angel, but _everyone_ wanted him dead. They knew the storm that was coming after Ferdinand died and they hoped his death would save their lives.”

“But Bagdemagus was so loyal...” Angelicus shook his head, “I find it hard to believe.”

“I do not blame you.” Suddenly a phone began to ring. Angelicus yelped and clung to Raphael, who rolled his eyes in exasperation and tried to pry Angelicus away from himself, but it wasn't working. The antics caused the two bands to snort and snicker.

“Angel, it is nothing to be afraid of!” growled the assassin.

“How can you be so sure?!” Angelicus wailed, continuing to grip Raphael tightly. Eventually the assassin gave up and let the priest cling to him while glaring at the grinning men around him.

“I would not laugh if I were you.” he cautioned, “For I will most certainly hurt you, and I am sure my counterpart would not mind to do the same.”

“Yeah yeah...” Ryan spoke, putting a hand over his mouth and trying to cover his laughter.

“Well, if you guys can tell us what they look like, maybe someone found a portrait of them.” Jake shrugged, “It might not help us out in trying to cure you guys, but I'd like to see what the kings once looked like. Maybe the castle still exists.”

“Already checked.” Zakk waved his phone, “It still exists and used to be a hotel/museum in Siberia. It's under repairs right now, but apparently the last guests they had there were MCR.”

“MCR?” The two ghosts blinked with questioning looks on their faces. Angelicus finally let Raphael go as the living men explained.

“Their full name is My Chemical Romance and they're one of the best bands ever!” Zakk brought up a picture of the band on his phone and showed it to the ghosts. He barely had any time to save his phone before Raphael tried to stab it with the butter knife as Angelicus gasped.

“What the hell was that for?!” growled the bassist.

“That was Gervasius and Ferdinand!” Angelicus said in shock, “I think one of them also looked like Montresor!”

“The Mad King cannot leave us alone, can he?” snarled Raphael, leaving the knife embedded in the wooden table top.

“You're crazy, that's a picture of MCR.” Derek argued.

“Hold on.” Jinxx held up his hands, trying to get them all to calm down, “Maybe MCR looks like the kings for some reason. And if they went to Four Corners, maybe they know they do.” he turned to the ghosts, “Angelicus, you mentioned you wouldn't be surprised if Gervasius was still a ghost at Four Corners, right?” When the priest nodded, Jinxx continued, “If so, maybe he was still there when MCR went, so maybe they could help us out with this mess.”

“If they arrived while Gervasius was there, they should not have survived.” Raphael spoke, “He would not have let them live.”

“Well, only one way to find out.” Ashley said, “Anybody know their phone numbers?”

* * *

The band was out, spending the day relaxing before the concert that night, when Gerard's phone rang. He checked the Caller ID and was surprised to see Ashley's number. He had met Andy once, but they hadn't traded numbers, so he wondered how Ashley was contacting him. He answered regardless, though.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Gerard, it's Ashley.” said the bassist, “Look, when you went to Four Corners, did something happen?” Gerard froze at the question. He didn't think anyone else knew about the trip except for the band, Fall Out Boy, their families, and their friends. But if Ashley knew, then the news must have spread beyond them. Gerard didn't like the memories that came up with the mention of the place, but Ashley was only asking. It wouldn't hurt to answer...

“A lot of things happened. Why? Why are you calling me out of nowhere like this?”

“Well, BVB and FIR need your help.” Gerard raised his eyebrows.

“And this relates to Four Corners _how_?”

“We're got some ghosts with us who used to live there.” Gerard paled. He could hear the maniacal laughter of a certain king echo in his head, reminding him of the scars that were still on him, even though they couldn't be seen.

“Look, call anyone else in my band, you can even call Fall Out Boy, but _leave me out of this_.” The singer hung up before Ashley could say another word. He stared at his phone and suddenly knew that he was going to go back there, back to Four Corners, even though he had tried so hard not to. He had gotten better after all the nightmares and now he would have to face them again. He didn't think he could take going back to the ghostly castle a second time.

When he got back to the hotel he was staying at with the band, he found them waiting for him as well as Fall Out Boy. The Chicago-based band was sharing their tour with MCR, so fans got to see two doses of their favorite bands in the same week, possibly even the same show if things worked out, but that wasn't on Gerard's mind at the moment. He could see their looks.

“Ashley called you, didn't he.” It wasn't a question.

“He told us about the ghosts.” Mikey nodded, “Angelicus and Raphael, the priest and assassin that we saw in that one memory.”

“Since we've dealt with ghosts before, the guys are hopeful that we might be able to help them separate the ghosts from Andy and Ronnie.” Frank added.

“Do we have to go to Four Corners to do it?” Gerard asked bitterly, feeling that he had no choice in the matter.

“Well, because these guys are ghosts we haven't dealt with before, it might be best if we head back there.” Pete spoke, “But you can stay here if you want. The castle'll be crowded enough with three bands, so you guys don't have to come if you don't want to.” Gerard blinked.

“You're...you're letting me stay behind?” he asked, shocked. He thought they all would have to go.

“With us.” Ray continued, “The whole band either goes or stays. We know how you feel about going back, so...” The guitarist gave a shrug. It felt like a giant weight had been taken off his shoulders as Gerard collapsed in a nearby chair.

“Thank you.” he gave a grateful smile, but it soon fell as something occurred to him, “But what about you guys? Don't you want to go see the other kings again, help out with Angelicus and Raphael? You don't have to stay because of me.”

“Actually, we'd all really like to stay behind.” Joe said, “But these guys are in trouble. We can't just let them figure this out on their own.” A wave of guilt crashed over the MCR singer at the words. FOB was willing to sacrifice their time and possibly even their lives to help Black Veil Brides and Falling in Reverse, even though they barely knew each other. Gerard was too scared to even _look_ at the castle, let alone go back, and he knew that made him the worse person.

“Then when are you leaving?” he asked, trying to get his mind off the guilt.

“In a day or two, once we get things sorted out.” Patrick sighed, “We'll have to either postpone or cancel some dates for the tour, depending on how long this might take. You guys might even be taking our places for some of the concerts.” More guilt piled on Gerard.

“No way, we can't do that.” he shook his head, wanting to fix this somehow, “Since we're touring together, we can switch things around. MCR can go first and the stages will still be set up for you guys, since it would take a lot of time and effort to take it all down only to put it up again when you come back. We could do that, right?” The guys looked at each other.

“I think it could work, but we'd have to work it out with the managers.” Bob said, “It'd be a weird set up, but I think it could work.” There were murmurs of agreement from the rest of the men and soon some of them were calling their managers to see if they could arrange it. Gerard smiled, glad he got to solve this problem, but he still felt guilty about not going with Fall Out Boy back to Four Corners. He wanted to go, but his fear of the place was overwhelming him. He might even get some recurring nightmares the next few nights, but he knew he deserved it. After all, if he couldn't push past his fears of the place to help two other bands, then how good of a guy was he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Angelicus' name in Russian look a bit of figuring out to make it work. I couldn't get a translation at all from Google Translate, so I had to go find this site that did and it had various spellings for the name, so I then put those spellings into Google Translate to see which one would translate to Angelicus. Ангелицус is what I came up with. I hope it's right.
> 
> 2\. Angelicus gets scared easily by loud noises and clings to whoever he's closest to at the moment, which tends to be Raphael. It doesn't change here, even so many years later.
> 
> 3\. There's a picture I found somewhere (can't remember where) but it was a picture of Andy and Gerard together. Not sure if it's real, but I used it as a basis for a connection to the two bands. That and their tweets about each other, where Gerard loves BVB and Andy likes MCR.
> 
> 4\. The title of the chapter is a line from FOB's song (Coffee's For Closers).


	3. I Am Not Afraid (To Say That I'm Lying To Myself)

Angelicus held Raphael's hand in reassurance as the bus moved down the road. The 'motorized vehicle,' as the living men called it, was much faster than any horse but was so strange. It set the two ghosts on edge, even though Raphael didn't seem affected. The only way anyone knew it was because of the kitchen knife he twirled in his free hand, which was a nervous tic of his. Angelicus was not as stone-faced but also interested, staring out the window and watching as the land went by in a blur. When he felt Raphael's hand tighten, Angelicus turned his head to see one of the band members approaching.

“CC, is it not?” he asked softly.

“That's right.” The drummer nodded back and took a seat across from the two in the lounge.

“I see. There are just so many of you, I was not quite sure.”

“I can understand.” CC agreed.

“Why are you here?” asked Raphael, the twirling knife in his hand becoming faster, making CC nervous. Angelicus reached over and plucked the knife from his hand, giving the assassin a glare that said 'be nice' before giving the knife back.

“I just wanted to talk. We did that a bit when we met up, but no one really knows about you guys. I just want some questions answered.”

“Of course. Ask away.” said Angelicus.

“Since you're in their bodies, can you feel if Andy and Ronnie are still there?” asked CC, “Are they okay?” The ghosts shared a glance.

“No, we cannot feel them.” Raphael admitted, “They might be here, or they might not. They might have disappeared when we came, or we might have replaced them. There is no way to know for sure, for this is as new to us as all else is.”

“Yeah, I get it.” CC smiled sadly for a brief second, “My next question is about your pasts. What was it like to live in the kingdoms?”

“Well, all of the kingdoms were close, but they tended to be closer to certain ones. Spidantia and Scorxus were grouped together, as were Phonicamy and Deecadia. We saw many people from the other kingdoms as time passed, and each of the kingdoms was special in its own way.” Angelicus said, “But, as we grew older, we also grew apart because of the paths we chose.”

“As you know, I am an assassin and he is a priest.” Raphael said, “He reread scripts and texts, he practiced his prayers and devoted himself to religion. I was meant for a different path, but I fought it and chose my own. My father wanted me to work with him as a blacksmith, but I wanted to be something different and found work as an assassin.” The ghost shook his head, “Blacksmithing was useful to my profession, as I could make my weapons with no one giving a second glance. I also learned much from the gossip that spread in and out of the shop, giving me jobs when I heard them.”

“I tried to keep you from going that way.” Angelicus continued softly, “I tried to keep you from killing others because I knew you would go to Hell if you continued.”

“The irony of that is nothing happened after I died. I cannot remember anything after my death except for now, as if my afterlife did not exist. I am sure I would remember Hell if I went there.”

“That is what worries me. Something surely happened to you, so why do I remember and you do not?”

“Perhaps we were struck with different circumstances, Angel. Perhaps you were allowed an afterlife while I was not.”

“No, there is more to it than that.” CC's eyes flicked between the two as they talked, almost as if he was watching a tennis match instead of two ghosts talking about times past.

“Raphael, why do you call him Angel?” the drummer asked when a lull in the conversation occurred.

“It is a shortening of his name. No one else is allowed to call him Angel except for me, as it is special between us.” CC raised an eyebrow.

“So you're _just_ friends? There's nothing more to it?”

“...No.” Angelicus said slowly, turning to look out the window again, “There is not.” CC got the hint and stood up again, walking away but keeping his back to the door. He didn't trust Raphael not to throw the knife at his back and only turn around when the door to the back lounge was closed. After CC had gone, Raphael looked to Angelicus.

“Why did you lie?” he asked, “We may not know much about this time, but I believe it is more accepting than ours was. They might have accepted us.”

“And they might not. People have not changed, even though the times have. We do not know who we can trust here.”

“Yet I believe you were the one telling me to trust those men.” Raphael gave a sigh, “If we are to leave these men alone, the we must trust them. You know how I feel about trust, so you must be surprised about how I, of all men, admit this fault.” The assassin gave a gentle squeeze to the priest's hand.

“I am not surprised, but I suppose even I need a light to guide my way at times.” Angelicus turned to give the other ghost a smile. Raphael smiled back.

“Do you think we could kiss, even though these are not our bodies? I miss your lips, but I do not want to anger our guides.” he admitted.

“I do not see why not, but it would most likely be best not to do so, just in case.” Angelicus said, “Let us reign ourselves in.”

“And if it is not possible for their friends to come back?” Angelicus was silent for a moment.

“I- I do not know. I suppose we will deal with it if it comes to light.”

“If you say so, Angel.” Raphael rested an arm around Angelicus' shoulders and put the knife down, joining his lover in watching the world go by.

* * *

Days had passed since Bagdemagus had woken up and gotten close to his 'bandmates,' as they called themselves. He had also asked about his old friends to figure out where they were and, much to his anger, they were not close. He would have to go out on his own to get them back and he would do it by most any means, as his mentor had taught him.

He left Dan, Jesse, Kenneth, Erm, Chris, and Nicole a few days ago with no word, not caring if they wanted to know where he was going or not, and used Brendon's money to get where he was going. Brendon Urie, the name of the man he controlled, seemed to be quite the strange one. But with how he used to know 'Dallon,' 'Spencer,' 'Jon,' and 'Ryan,' Bagdemagus' old friends Diktrus, Sampson, Johnathan, and Ryscus, the ghost didn't mind. In fact, he was happy about it. He was going to get his friends back, one way or another. And the first person he was going to see was his oldest friend, Ryscus.

He knocked on the door of the home and waited patiently for the door to open, and when it did, Bagdemagus couldn't help but smile at the face of his old friend, now grown-up and looking beautiful, until said friend frowned at the sight of him.

“Brendon.” said Ryscus quietly, “What are you doing here? It's been a while since we've seen each other.”

“Yeah, I know.” Bagdemagus said happily, “I wanted to come see you, just talk for a bit.” Ryscus raised an eyebrow.

“Really?” he questioned, “And shouldn't you, y'know, be on tour or something? _Pray for the Wicked_ is about to be released, so shouldn't you be dealing with that?”

“That doesn't mean I cannot see you again, does it?”

“Mm...” Ryscus continued to frown, “Is something wrong?” Bagdemagus blinked.

“No, not at all. Why?”

“There's something about you, something not right.”

 _He is figuring it out._ thought Bagdemagus.

“I swear nothing is wrong.” He walked past Ryscus inside the apartment and gazed around. Passing a vase, he picked it up and weight it in his hands. Not heavy, but it was made with clay, stronger than you would imagine.

“Brendon-”

“Ryan, I am sorry.” He used his friend's new name as he tightened his grip on the vase.

“For what?” Bagdemagus didn't answer and, with a swift movement, swung the vase at Ryscus. The other man was down without a sound and the vase was shattered on the floor. Bagdemagus dropped the vase piece he was holding and hoisted Ryscus into his arms after checking the other over, making sure Ryscus was still alive. 1 down, 3 to go.

* * *

Driving with Angelicus and Raphael was one thing, getting them on the plane was quite another, as BVB and FIR soon learned. Both were scared to go onto the flying machine, but Angelicus' terror was what really seeped through. The ghost in Andy's body was nearly catatonic when he saw the planes, and to hear that they would have to ride one...it was nearly a disaster.

“Only way I see us getting Andy-”

“Angelicus.” corrected Raphael, arm around Angelicus to help keep him calm. It hurt BVB to see Andy like this, even though it really wasn't him, and Ashley could feel the stir of jealousy in his veins.

“-Angelicus onto the plane is if we give him anti-anxiety meds. Which was don't have.” finished Ryan, “Has he every had a fear of heights like this before?”

“No. The flying is what is tough.” answered Raphael, “Just the thought of being in the sky with nothing holding us makes my skin crawl.” Angelicus could only whimper in reply.

“So, looking out the window might be a problem. What if you keep your eyes closed?” Jake suggested.

“It helps, but the sounds are still disconcerting.”

“So we need to block your eyes and ears and you should be fine!” Jinxx said, “Which means cottonballs or something else to cover the ears and a sleeping mask or something to cover the eyes. There are shops here in the airport, so hopefully they have some.”

“I-it still may not help, though.” Angelicus spoke up, “Usually I am not frightened by anything except loud noises, but all of this, the new world, the new times...” he shook his head, “It bothers me like no other.”

“But if you keep it out of your head and not think about it, things are okay, aren't they?” Ashley asked.

“...A little. It is still a 12 hour flight.” Both ghosts shivered, “Too long to be in the air.”

“And there are still the connecting flights in between and to Novosibirsk.” Raphael added, “But at least we will be home.”

“But there's nothing else we can do to make this better for you guys?” asked Jacky. The ghosts shook their heads.

“No, unless you are a wizard and can teleport us to our home.”

“I wish, but wizards? Did they actually exist or are you just making a comparison?”

“Oh, they existed.” Raphael gave a smile for the first time since entering the airport, “But they kept to themselves. They did not want anyone to use them and their powers for evil.”

“They did not exist.” The living men were surprised at how bitter Angelicus sounded, “No magic exists, only God does.”

“Angel-”

“The argument is _over_ , Raphael.” The assassin spoke no more, obeying the priest's wishes, but there was a knowing light in his eyes, indicating that he understood where Angelicus was coming from, even though everyone else was confused. They wanted to ask, but with the glare Angelicus was holding, they left it be, if just to ask later.

“ _Connecting Flight 1172 from_ _Cincinnati Municipal-Lunken Field_ _to Novosibirsk International will be departing soon._ ” announced a speaker from somewhere in the airport.

“We'll go get the things we need.” Derek offered before he and Zakk quickly left, and the living men could only hope this didn't end too badly. So far, things were going great, no one had recognized them, but it was only a matter of time.

* * *

Gerard massaged his head as he, MCR, and FOB were at the Newark Liberty International Airport, waiting for FOB's flight to leave. MCR were seeing their friends off and Solis was going on the same connecting flight to Novosibirsk International, the closest airport to Four Corners. The guilt was eating at Gerard, wanting to stay behind conflicting with what was right, and he knew he couldn't stay behind. He hadn't told anyone yet, but he had already bought tickets for the next flight because he knew band would agree as soon as they knew. He was going to announce to MCR when FOB left, but the guilt was still eating at him.

“Our flight's leaving soon.” Joe announced after checking the time on his phone, “You're still not coming, huh?” MCR shook their heads with the exception of Gerard, who seemed to be too much in his own head to notice what was going on.

“Good luck.” Ray said, “You'll need it.”

“As if we don't know that already.” Pete added, trying to smile but not quite getting there.

“Maybe we'll join you later.” Mikey said, “To help and stuff.”

“Not likely, unless you leave Gerard behind.” Patrick said, “I don't mean to be the downer here, but he's never gonna want to come to Four Corners again, so if you want to help, you'll have to leave without him.”

“We know, but we're hoping.” Frank said, “None of us want him to go through all that again, but I'm just kind of hoping that, if we go back, it might help him break out of this. We all know he's been having nightmares ever since then, worse than the ones any of us have had, but if he faces his fear, faces Four Corners, then maybe he'll be okay again.”

“But that's not what scares him and we all know it.” Andy pointed out, “It's not Four Corners that scares him.”

“But going back there and surviving again, with his greatest fear not there, still might help.” Bob said, siding with Frank.

“I still don't think it'll work, but it's your choice.” Pete said. He opened his mouth to say more but was interrupted with Fall Out Boy's flight was called. The four-piece band stood up, as did the rest of MCR, and they shared hugs and handshakes.

“Well, let's hope we live to see another day.” Joe tried to joke but it either fell flat or was met with weak chuckles.

“See you.” Mikey said, “And for the love of all that is holy, find those swords and crowns first thing so that you can defend yourselves.”

“No need to tell us twice.” Andy answered, and soon they were gone. MCR sat down once again with Gerard.

“You hear any of that?” Ray questioned. Gerard nodded and sighed.

“They're not wrong and neither are you guys.” he looked up, “But we're leaving for Four Corners ourselves tomorrow.”

“You feel guilty about not wanting to go?” Gerard nodded to Mikey's question.

“That, and after what you said, about facing my fears, as much as my instincts tell me that it's a _terrible_ idea to go back, maybe facing Four Corners will calm me down.” Gerard hugged himself, “I don't want to live the rest of my life in fear of what _he_ caused, and I don't want Bandit and Lyn-Z to be subject to my nightmares when I see them again.”

“You've been running yourself ragged because of that.” Bob added, “Don't think we haven't noticed how you've been working yourself to the bone and drinking all that coffee.” Gerard gave a weak laugh.

“Is it that obvious?”

“More than you think.” Frank said and put an arm around the singer, “I assume you've already bought tickets?” Gerard nodded.

“Tomorrow, first thing in the morning. I know it's a bit out of nowhere, but-”

“Don't worry, we'll be ready.” Ray assured, “But should we tell our families where we're going?” They all shared an anxious look. The last time they had gone to Four Corners, even though they had told people where they were going, no one had come to their rescue except Fall Out Boy, and even then they had nearly died.

“Let's do that.” Gerard decided, “But let's also add for them not to follow us. We don't want them coming after us and getting hurt.”

“Right.” The band stood up together as Mikey spoke, “Then I guess let's go back to the hotel, tell Brian about our change of plans, and start packing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. The chapter title is based on a lyric from MCR's Famous Last Words but with a add-on thanks to me.
> 
> Sorry that it's been a while since I posted the last chapter, but now that it's summer, hopefully I'll be able to churn out more chapters. There are also other stories in the works, so keep an eye out! And I'm sorry if I've made a mistake or someone's OOC, tell me and I'll fix it. I hope to see you soon, everyone!


End file.
